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George Clooney in Talks to Lead Brad Bird's Secret Sci-Fi Film '1952'

When word came down that The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol helmer Brad Bird was going to be directing a mysterious science fiction film called 1952 from writer Damon Lindelof, it caused quite a stir in the fan community. While we haven't learned much about it yet (other than debunking rumors that it's involved with the new Star Wars trilogy), we do know that it's a sci-fi project that involves a man making contact with aliens and it's said to have a Close Encounters of the Third Kind vibe. Thanks to Variety, we might know who that man will be: George Clooney is apparently in talks to play the lead role.

Disney had no comment on the casting news, and Variety's sources are cautioning that this project hasn't even been officially greenlit yet. But with Lindelof and EW writer Jeff Jensen penning the screenplay, Bird behind the camera, and the project rumored to have multi-platform aspirations, this certainly sounds like it's going to get made. But with Clooney co-writing, starring in, and directing the upcoming art heist filmThe Monuments Men, could the scheduling for this project work out? Neither one of these projects has a start date yet, but since Clooney has already locked down an impressive cast for his next directorial effort, one would assume that project would be first out of the gate. We'll have to keep watching and see.

Hopefully this project can come together smoothly, as most movie nerds are excited about Bird directing another live-action project. There might be a bit more hesitancy surrounding it after the lukewarm reception to Prometheus earlier this summer (a project to which Lindelof contributed significantly), but I'm holding out hope that this combination of talent can bring us something exciting in the science fiction genre.